


Drowning in Cold Diamonds

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Friendship, Post-Hogwarts, Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity, The Quidditch Pitch: Leaving Feast, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-02
Updated: 2008-09-02
Packaged: 2018-10-26 11:17:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10785690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: There’s one thing I love more than anything else. Looking in those crystal eyes. A person can easily lose themselves just by looking at them. That’s how we began, the unlikely pair we are. You can say whatever you want about the two of us, but I won’t let it bother me. Fate has its own surprises for us – I’ve already found mine. You just haven’t seen yours yet, but it’ll nip you in the rear when it does find you.Spin-off/afterword posted!! One-shot Thawing the Frozen -- [see Author Page [will be posted soon]]





	Drowning in Cold Diamonds

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

  
Author's notes:

Drowning in Cold Diamonds

Chapter One - Chance Encounters

by real_life_sucks

beta'd by Nathan. Thanks =) 

Response to a challenge issued by A Fountain Pen

* * *

 

* * *

  
  
There’s one thing I love more than anything else: looking into those crystal eyes. A person can easily lose themselves just by looking at them. That’s how we began, the unlikely pair we are. You can say whatever you want about the two of us, but I won’t let it bother me. Fate has its own surprises for us – I’ve already found mine. You just haven’t seen yours yet, but it’ll nip you from behind when it does find you.

  
I had always promised myself I’d never fall for anyone like him. But fate didn’t seem to care what I thought I wanted. It was ready to just throw me and dunk me in those crystal eyes. Every night, I thought ceaselessly of those eyes and how they never seemed to stay the same shade. And that was only after one encounter of drowning in them. But it was too late.

  
I was drowning in those cold, diamond eyes.

 

* * *

  


One year after leaving Hogwarts, and where was I? Stuck in some hopeless and pathetic bookstore that I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t seem to find my way out. I was in a managing position; I made more than enough money to live by. There was no way I’d lose my job; they loved me too much. I always knew exactly what book the customer needed, what would help them solve their problems. My own problems? Those deserved their own special book, there were so many.

 

I no longer dreamed to be an Auror. There was no purpose, so many Death Eaters were gone. Why waste my life on a job that would have little purpose? Nothing else seemed to fit me. I had gone to a Muggle university for a little, but I dropped out after the first semester. It was such a hassle to travel back and forth between the worlds while maintaining my job in the wizarding world and trying to explain why I never ran short of money. So I, Hermione Jean Granger, quit.

  
So I began full time at a bookstore. It was perfect for me – it had a mixture of wizarding and Muggle books. It was a simple job for me – way too simple for the amount of money I got. But I was valued, so they wanted to be sure I wouldn't leave anytime soon. I had my beloved house – a house of my own! – in Southern England. It wasn’t in London, but that was alright with me. It gave me a beautiful view of the Cliffs of Dover. I wouldn’t have traded that house for anything. With Apparition, I was able to travel to work quickly.

  
My story doesn’t involve any of these things. True, without certain aspects I might never have ended up where I am today. But they have no importance compared to other aspects. 

  
  
And with my knees pulled up in front of me, I’d managed to convince myself I was at home, while only sitting in an overstuffed chair at the bookstore. Snoozing away in front of the fireplace, I was dreaming again of that night during the war. That horrible and dreary night where many died. Twitching around, I had awoken to the feel of someone’s fingers on my shoulder. With a gasp, I woke up and looked up into Harry’s emerald eyes. With a smile, I stood up and gave him a brief hug.

  
“What are you doing here, Harry?” I asked him, once I pulled away. Watching him pull at a string hanging from his shirt, I narrowed my eyes. “What did you do?”

  
I watched as he mumbles his way through an inaudible excuse before he finally just sighed, and rubbed at his scar absently, a habit he picked up from before. “I accidentally…told Ginny that I wasn’t exactly ready for children…” His voice trailed off again, and I stifled an unwomanly laugh under my breath.

  
For several moments, I stood there with my hands on my knees as I tried to regain my breath. Eventually, I calmed down enough to hear Harry muttering under his breath. “Don’t see what’s so funny, she threw dishes at me…” Again, I entered a round of hysterics, and for a good ten minutes I couldn't manage a breath.

  
Finally straightening up, I looked at Harry with a smile on my lips. “It isn’t like you told her you were cheating on her, Harry. A simple romantic night will fix it all. You don’t need me or a book to tell you that much.” Grabbing Harry’s sleeve, I pushed him out the door playfully before he could start quizzing me on other things to do.

  
After watching him quickly disappear in the rain, I headed back inside and started to straighten books up that had been moved around the shelves. The day before, I had been so tired that I hadn’t even bothered to clean up before I went home. It was during this process that I heard the door bell twinkle as someone entered. Quickly straightening up, I hurried towards the front to see if I could help the person. Reaching the front of the store, I didn’t see anyone though, so I wrinkled my nose before quickly heading back to what I was doing, presuming that I had imagined the twinkling bell, something I had done before.

  
Finally finishing setting all the books up, I turned around to head back to the front counter only to scream as I noticed a person standing there. Quickly strangling the scream, I took a deep breath, placing my hand on the shelf next to me. 

  
“Sorry to scare you, I just need to pay for these.” The silky voice quietly came from the figure, and I nodded quickly before motioning for them to follow me to the front counter. All the time, my brain furiously searched for where I’ve heard that voice before, but coming up blank.

  
Getting to the cash register, my eyes widened as I noticed just how many books he had placed on the counter. Taking a deep breath, I began to check out each one, smiling as I saw classic titles such as _Pride and Prejudice_ mixed in with the wizarding books. It always made me happy to see wizards read Muggle classics, partly because of my own Muggle linage.

  
Finally finishing ten minutes later, I told the customer the price, happy that I get the employee discount. When I looked up to take the change, my hand twitched away and all of the change fell to the floor as he looked at me with a strange look in his eyes.

  
I never knew what had happened to Draco Malfoy. Truth be told, I never really cared enough to even bother finding out. But with him standing in front of me, I couldn’t seem to look away. His eyes…were different. They had seen more than the kid who used to pick on Gryffindors. They had seen as much as I had…if not more. And I couldn’t tear my eyes away from those crystal eyes.

  
Finally regaining my senses, I closed my eyes briefly during which I realized he had said something. “Sorry, what did you say?” I hesitantly opened my eyes to see Draco looking at me like I was crazy.

  
“I said, the money’s not contaminated or anything.” Blushing as he raised his eyebrow, I quickly gathered all the money before handing him the change. With a muttered charm under my breath, all of the books were placed in bags.

  
As he picked them up, I quickly walked behind him, realizing he would have trouble opening the front door. Once we got there, I held it open for him awkwardly as he squeezed between me and the door. As he turned to look at me once again, I fought not to drown in his eyes and I saw him smile briefly at me.

  
“Goodbye for now, Granger.”

 

* * *

  


That evening I closed up the store, always the last to leave because I couldn’t stand to keep the others away from their family dinners. Stepping out in the rain, I quickly Apparated home. Entering the dark living room, I slowly made my way to the kitchen to have a quick dinner before I got ready to go to bed. The next day was going to be one of our busy ones because the train left the very next day for Hogwarts.

  
Turning the lights on in the kitchen, I smiled as I saw Crookshanks sitting in front of his food bowl, waiting expectantly for me to give him his supper. I did so and laughed quietly as he began his purring. Quickly fixing leftovers, I cleaned up the mess, picked up Crookshanks, and turned the lights off before heading up the stairs to get ready for bed.

  
I reached my room, set Crookshanks down, and hurriedly dressed for bed, smiling as I finally got to lie down. I then rolled over and turned off the light, sighing as I closed my eyes. Expecting to fall asleep quickly as I did every other night, I was surprised when the image of Draco’s eyes haunted me. It was like his eyes had followed me home and were refusing to let me sleep a peaceful night.

  
After experiencing this for an hour or two, I got out of bed and headed down to my workroom. Getting the required ingredients, I concocted a sleep draught that I carried back with me to my bedroom. Sitting down, I downed the potion quickly and set the cup on my bedside table before I pulled my legs up under the covers and laid back, already asleep.

 

* * *

  
The next morning felt like it would never end. Kids were endlessly asking me where such and such book was, even when it was right in front of their eyes. Constantly running back and forth to help another student or to check someone out or to answer a parent’s question about a price, I never thought I would feel as relieved as I did when noon finally came around. Many customers disappeared at lunch time and I was allowed off first to get my own.

  
Taking off my button up shirt, I tossed it in the workroom before I left, adjusting the sleeves on the shirt I’d had on underneath. Quickly walking out into the sunny and busy street, I headed down to a little sub shop and quickly popped in, smiling as the owner greeted me. I was by far their most consistent customer, coming in almost every day for my lunch break. After ordering my usual, I scanned for an empty table. Frowning, I turned back around and took my sub from the owner, smiling as I then saw a table from the corner of my eye. An older couple in the corner was rising from their table and I quickly made my way over and sat down, grateful that it was a table by the window.

  
After settling myself, I slowly began to eat my sub and watched the people outside, dreading having to go back and deal with the chaos inside the bookstore. As I neared the end of my sub, I looked up to see Draco standing there beside me with his own food in his hand.

  
He smiled apologetically, and quietly asked me a question, his voice just as silky as it was the night before. “Mind if I join you? Everywhere else is full.” 

  
I muttered a small yes before moving my things over so he could sit down. All the while, I tried my hardest to avoid looking into his eyes so that I wouldn’t lose myself the way I did the night before.

  
It wasn’t easy.

  
For several long minutes, we both sat there silently, before I abruptly turned to face him, having turned to look out the window again earlier. “Why?” Swallowing the rest of my question, I took a large bite of my sub to keep myself from blurting some other random question.

  
But after seeing the look in his eyes, I wanted to continue asking the questions. His eyes became stormy, and once again I found myself lost in them as he quietly answered my question. “Because I couldn’t stand my father anymore…”

  
Blushing, I turned back to the window, embarrassed that I asked such a question and surprised that he understood what I meant and bothered to answer it. After all, I’d done nothing that should have made him thankful towards me. Even though he had been on our side, I’d shunned him as much as I possibly could. It was so hard to overcome those childhood annoyances.

  
For several more minutes, we sat there quietly, and I finally finished my sub, oddly thankful that I had to get back to work. I stood up quickly, gathering all my rubbish and placing it in the bag. “Thank you for answering my question.” I muttered quietly before hurrying away, afraid of what his response would be. Throwing everything in the rubbish bin, I hurried my way back to the bookstore, trying to rid the image of his eyes from my brain.


End file.
